This report compares the safety performance of 27 European countries – the25 EU member
states, Norway and Switzerland. The comparison is done for seven road safety related
areas: alcohol and drugs, speeds, protective systems, daytime running lights, vehicles
(passive safety), roads, and trauma management, on basis of the theory presented in
Hakkert, Gitelman and Vis1 (2007), using the data obtained from the collaborating countries
(see Vis and Van Gent2 (2007). When indicator values are available but not comparable due
to e.g. lack of data quality, this is explained.
In general, comparing the countries' performances is difficult. The main reasons are the lack
of data, suspicious quality of the data, or the incomparability of the (seemingly similar) data
due to different circumstances of measurement. As an example of the latter, one might think
of speed measurements for different road types in different countries, or on similar road
types with completely different characteristics.
In a number of cases, the choice for a specific performance indicator depends on the
availability of data. This has, for example, been the case for the indicator for alcohol usage;
while the optimal indicator would concern the usage rate of alcohol in the general driver
population, the unavailability of data in a number of the (larger) country, has led to a more
indirect indictor. Details about the development of the safety performance indicators can be
found in Hakkert, Gitelman and Vis (2007).
In spite of all considerations and limitations, we are able to present a great number of
comparisons in this report, or to present the figures that can form the basis for future
comparisons. Reliable comparisons are made for the areas daytime running lights, protective
systems, vehicles (passive safety), and trauma management. Only limited comparisons are
made for the areas speeds and roads. Due to great differences in data quality between the
different countries, comparisons in the area alcohol and drugs is not possible. The results for
that area are presented for information only and will form the basis for future study.